(Jerusalem Post) Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz, speaking at the Herzliya Conference on Monday, laid out a stark scenario in which he described an Iran in possession of dozens of nuclear warheads ten years from now - the likely result of Western powers signing a "bad deal" with Iran on its nuclear program. He said that in the event that the world powers sign an unsatisfactory deal with Iran that does not dismantle its nuclear program, the Islamic Republic could have 50-100 nuclear warheads by the year 2024. In addition, Steinitz warned that Iran would also possess ballistic missiles with the ability to reach Western Europe and the east coast of the U.S. Steinitz said in this scenario, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, Turkey, and other Middle East states would begin their own nuclear weapons programs in answer to Iran. Steinitz explained that allowing Iran to remain on the threshold of making a nuclear bomb would also constitute a "bad deal." A terrible agreement that gives Iran legitimacy, while leaving it a threshold state, will pave the way for other states to demand the same thing, he added.
2014-06-09 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive